Extending Your Use-By Date

22 March 2013 , 3:43 PM by Rob Minshull

Retirement age used to be pitched at 65, now some people are retiring in their 50s - if they can afford it. The Federal Government meanwhile has started the process of delaying the age pension to 67 by 2023.

This weekend, Warren Boland is asking when is a reasonable age to expect to retire? Or is it in our interests to defer retirement for as long as possible?

Warren is talking to Darryl Dymock, who has written a new book entitled Extending Your Use-By Date, arguing that working longer and retiring later is good for our physical and mental health.

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

I didn't want to retire at all, but my employers, the Queensland State Government, made it clear they didn't want "old" people around any more.
I've just about given up looking for a job anywhere else, but I would like a part-time job. I don't want to go on the pension.

That really depends on what type of work you do most of your life. After 40 odd years of working on the tools,putting up with bosses,nasty site managers and customers who think you are trying to rip them off at every chance.It's good to look forward to an early retirement.At sixty I do no not need some desk jockey bureaucrat telling me (making me) work another ten years.Even if the retirement is on the min.pension, after putting in the work (and paying the taxes) we deserve the time to rest and do our own thing at home (or travel) etc.
There's a push to have retired people help out at schools and other voli. sites.Where are they going to come from if you have them all working until they die at the work bench/desk?.
What's next? penalise families if a worker dies before they reach 80?
We have plenty of things to do and keep our minds active not the least being one step in front of academics and politicians who sit in ivory towers trying to think of ways to harass us and take our hard earned retirement funds.

I'm 75 and still work part time writing Reports, Résumés and Selection Criteria. I enjoy it and, more to the point, my clients are overwhelmingly happy with the results. The secret is to do something you enjoy. When you retire it’s time to fall in love again, not necessarily with a person but, with something keeps you busy because you liked doing it.

Retireing should be your decision and not be forced into retireing because a law was passed to say we are at the end of our working age at 65. I will be 65 next month, but can still work 12 hours a day, run, bike ride, able to use a computer, and am healthier than most young people I know. We have laws againest age discrimation, but try getting a job at 64, let alone 65???